


Bringing a murderer to justice

by ChickadeeChickadoo



Series: Everyone is confused but R2-D2. [1]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Artoo saves the world, Darth Vader Redemption, Dead Sheev Palpatine, Everyone Needs Hugs, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Gen, Obi-Wan is medium sad, Vader figures things out faster, but it gets better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24241828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickadeeChickadoo/pseuds/ChickadeeChickadoo
Summary: When Vader finds Leia at the beginning of a New Hope, R2-D2 is there.Vader figures out that he has an Emperor to kill.
Relationships: Leia Organa & Darth Vader
Series: Everyone is confused but R2-D2. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752961
Comments: 43
Kudos: 579





	Bringing a murderer to justice

“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” Leia finished. She stood, glancing to the side. She needed to get the droids down to the planet- needed to be far away from the pod when it escaped… and then she heard the breathing.

Almost unwillingly she turned. Vader was close- too close. Did he hear the end of the message? Did she put Obi-Wan in danger? She wanted to run but knew that running would do no good. Would he kill her now? That was probably preferable to being tortured for information but…

Vader was nearly upon her now, and then Artoo rolled in front of her. Vader stood frozen in the corridor, his gaze on something just in front of Artoo and Leia realized he was playing a video. What?

The mechanical breathing stopped. Leia heard someone saying “Twins.” And Vader dropped to his knees.

…---…

Vader stared. It was Padme- there- and she wasn’t dead. Obi-Wan was leading her onto the ship. She was- he hadn’t killed her? But…

The video paused a moment, then another began to play. Twins, Luke and Leia. At that name he looked up- staring at the princess. “That Leia?” he asked Artoo, and Artoo beeped yes. He’d always thought their baby was a girl… apparently they had both been right.

But something was wrong. Padme was dying and she shouldn’t be dying and there was no reason for her to be dying so why was she dying? Vader couldn’t breathe- or maybe he just wasn’t breathing- and it didn’t make sense because if she was dead she was already gone and this had _already happened_. “There’s still good in him,” she whispered to Obi-Wan and then her head was falling back and her eyes were closing and she was gone but that didn’t make sense because this was Padme and she wouldn’t just _give_ _up_.

“Play it again.” Vader found himself saying and Artoo was replying something snarky and Vader didn’t care and “Please.” He said.

The video restarted. Obi-Wan led Padme into the ship. Video break. She named the twins. Break. She died.

It didn’t make sense, a woman who’d died when she should have lived, and him, living when he should have died.

 _Power over death,_ a voice in his mind seemed to whisper and he didn’t want to listen to what it was saying but… “Sidious.” Vader said, and though he said it in a whisper it boomed out.

The princess jumped at that- he wasn’t sure why she hadn’t moved, hadn’t even tried to run. Then he realized he was holding her in place, gently, but it prevented her from leaving.

The ship was shaking, cracks appearing in the walls because Sidious had said _Vader_ had killed Padme. Sidious had promised to save Padme, but he’d killed her to save Vader, sucked her life out to reanimate a weapon, a tool. He wasn’t supposed to trade an angel’s life for a slave’s. Vader would never have chosen his life over hers- he would have given- he _had_ given- everything to try to save her.

But Vader was the more biddable weapon, and Sidious had chosen him.

Artoo beeped at him and Vader stopped. His daughter, his _daughter_ was on this ship. He didn’t want her to die.

He didn’t want her to die but Sidious had killed his wife. He’d kill Leia too, Leia and Luke. He had _two_ children.

In the end, the decision was easy. To save his child, his children, to avenge his wife, Sidious would have to die.

…---…

Leia was confused.

Vader had come- but instead of killing her or threatening her he’d knelt. Knelt before Artoo- as Artoo showed a video of a woman giving birth and dying. Leia, the woman had said, and Luke.

Vader had asked, “That Leia,” and Artoo had beeped the affirmative. Which didn’t make sense because why would Artoo have a video of her birth and if that _was_ her birth than where was her brother? Her twin?

Then Vader had left his stormtroopers with her, on the ship, and Artoo, and everything else that was alive, which wasn’t much, and he’d told them to bring her home to Alderaan.

“What are you doing?” Leia finally asked as Vader was preparing to leave.

He hesitated for a long moment. “Killing the Emperor.” He finally said. “Avenging the murder of Padme Amidala. And saving my children.”

Leia froze- mind refusing to work through the implications of that… and then he was gone.

…---…

Sabotaging the Death Star was remarkably easy. When the weapons test failed Vader was recalled to Imperial Center. Behind his mask, Vader smiled.

…---…

He made a recording of his new will. He had it set to be released both to his lawyers and all major news stations after his death.

…---…

He walked into the throne room. Sidious was saying something, but Vader didn’t listen and he didn’t kneel. His saber was in his hand. Lightning was flying at him, some of it hit him. His suit began to shut down, but it was too late.

His blade went through Sidious’s heart and he wrenched upwards.

No man could survive without a heart or a brain.

People were shouting, terrified. He stumbled to the ground as people ran this way and that around him. His breathing slowed… slowed… slowed… and stopped.

…---…

The recording began with Darth Vader in a circular white room. He removed the helmet. That was something he just didn’t do, and yet- he was doing it. His face was a pasty white, covered in scar tissue and his eyes burned yellow. Darth Vader was speaking. “If you are seeing this, I’m probably dead by now. Rejoice oh ye people and all that.” He waved a hand. “I’m going to be killing the emperor. I recently discovered that the man murdered my wife, which is a problem because the entire reason I joined him was to save her.”

Without the mask his voice was far weaker, strained. Rasping. “The emperor’s will states that the one to kill him will be his heir. Problem is that I know I’ll die in the attempt. His lightning packs a punch, especially to someone in a suit like this. So- I name Bail Organa my heir.” He grinned then. “I’m spitting on his grave beyond the grave.”

“Bail, I would appreciate it if, once you turn this into a democracy, it works a bit better than the republic. And, if I’m allowed to ask for personal favors I’d like a harsher stance against slavery. That’s always been a sore spot.”

For several moment, he just breathed. “Obi-Wan. Since I’ll be dead when you hear this, and I am trying to spit on Sidious’s grave before I die myself… I loved you too. You were my brother in all but blood. Though I would suggest that the next time you love someone you tell them _before_ you cut off three of their limbs and leave them burning by a river of lava, trying to use their remaining limb to claw their way up the slope while they breathe in the smoke coming off of their own burning flesh. It’s hard to be introspective in that much pain.”

He grimaced, then hesitated for a long moment. “And also you were right. If I hadn’t joined Sidious… she’d still be alive.”

The yellow was gone from his eyes now. They were blue. “To my children- I don’t know you and I will never get to know you. For that, I am sorry. I wish… I wish a lot of things. Know that I love you, and that I am doing this for you. Sidious killed my wife, I have no doubt he’d kill you too. I do this to avenge her and protect you. Know that the day I learned I was going to be father was the happiest day of my life.”

He shook his head sharply. “Sometimes Obi-Wan,” he said, “I’m kinda glad you burned my tear ducts out.”

He looked straight at the camera then. “I- named Anakin Skywalker by my mother and Darth Vader by the emperor, sign and seal this message.” The video cut out then, and Obi-Wan wept.

…----….

Two weeks after Darth Vader and the Emperor died Obi-Wan woke up to find a figure, glowing blue, at the end of his bed.

He blinked. Anakin was glaring at him. “My children cannot see me.” He said. “Fix that. Also, you look terrible. Also, Tattoine?!”

Obi-Wan blinked again.


End file.
